something that can be made available to the committee. >> yes, we pointed out and broke the twenty-nine recommendations to individual tasks. it's money date but it's important. we assigned individuals to each task. we given the date we want them completed. whenever recommendation that will actually derive from that. ..

>> his judgment and the aarp's judgment is there's simply not enough time to use military force to respond and make a difference in that situation, but you raise a very good, broader question, and it's certainly something we'll work through with the colleagues and pentagon and elsewhere in the administration. >> mr. chairman, given, again, the potential for unrest across the middle east, i would hope that we follow-up on this specific question because it seems to me to be critical as we look at the situation going forward, and i will just conclude by adding my personal thanks and appreciation to the senator lugar. it's truly been an honor to serve with you, and you leave a tremendous legacy for this committee and for the country.

thank you. >> senator, thank you. let me say i just thought a lot about what you said with respect to the availability of teams or forces with respect to emergency extraction, and/or emergency response in various parts of the world, and i think it's something we really need to pay attention to and think about in terms of deployment and preparedness so we got to do that. senator isakson. >> i'll be really fast so others can question too. let me quote the predecessor in the senate saying they don't make them any better than dick lugar. i want to echo that. you are a great servant and friends. i thank you very much. my statement is in the report, admiral mullen and secretary, it says there was a culture of pushback in the state department. not a question, but i've seen

the culture of pushback, embassies in africa who made security related requests, minor like securing ground level residents in an apartment building that couldn't get done until the united states senator asked for itment i think the state department needs to look at the process internally to see to it there's a flow to the top of important security request comes from embassies. that's a statement on my party. my question is, secretary nides, you made the statement, and i read the following, may need your help in having your authority to streamline the usual processes and produce faster results, related to security. what process is inhibiting faster results in terms of security in our embassy? >> broadly speaking. as you know, every time we put a contract out, there's a bidding process that needs to be taking place. nothing is done quickly as i'm learning quickly, and, again for the second time, and it's done

rightly; right? the people's bids put out, contracts awards, and there's a process. that process, unfortunately, takes time. there's oversight to be done, contracts are rewarded and challenged, and so we may need to ask for some authorities to allow us to expedite some of the those, and that's what i was generally talking about. it's security and other constructions. just to build a wall at an embassy could potentially take months to go through the contracting process, to get an agreement to get the bids. we may need to come to the institution to protect ourselves for challenges that we have during the contracting process, and that's what i was referring to, sir. so competitive bid requirement; is that right? >> i'm not an expert to be honest with you, but there -- what i'm an expert on is nothing can get done quickly. i think it is -- some of it is legitimate. some of it needs to be done

quickly, and we'll need to get the authorities in which to do that. >> what we should do, mr. chairman, is investigate a negotiated bid because there's a way around the competitive bid process in a security situation where you can react quickly, and we ought to give you -- >> very, very good suggestions, senator. we'll take that, for sure. thank you. >> thank you, mr. chairman, and, first, to senator lugar in wyoming, we have the code of the west, and number one is live each day with courage, and number two is take pride in your work, and you really are the embodiment then of the code of the west, and so you're always welcome in the rocky mountain west and specifically wyoming. thank you so much for your leadership, senator lugar. >> thanks. >> now, for our guests, president obama claims that the moment he heard about the attack on the u.s. consulate in benghazi said he gave three directives. find out who did this so we can bring them to justice. in secretary's letter she

states, quote, we continue to hunt terrorists responsible for the attacks in benghazi and determined to bring them to justice. have you determined those responsible for the death of the brave americans and the destruction of the u.s. facilities? >> senator barrasso, just to restate, we are absolutely committed to bring those responsible to justice. we are absolutely committed to bringing every resource to the u.s. government to bear to accomplish that. we are pursuing this through a number of different channels. some of which can be discussed in other settings, but as you know, the fbi is leading the investigation, the state department is actively supporting this. i've been in libya to talk to the libyan leadership to talk about the importance of their cooperation and the investigation. i think we are making some progress. our char on the ground works every day in support of the fbi. i was in tunisia last week to emphasize to the president and prime minister the importance we

attach to cooperation in ascertaining a suspect in the benghazi attack, and i believe we are making some progress there. the answer is, sir, to your question, is we don't have all the answers yet, but working relentlessly, and i think we are making progress. >> thank you. with regard to implementation of the recommendations of the report, you go through the report, and senator corker referred to 18 different accountability review boards over a number of years. a recurring theme seems to be stove pipe decision making. i mean earlier today, i heard the bureaucratic verbiage of what got to the sixth floor and the seventh floor, that means nothing to the senators or those around the country who see a terrible situation in a failed security effort, and, truly, what is the state department going to do to get beyond this what goes to what floor to make sure this doesn't happen again? >> senator, as someone whose spent a lot of time in corporate america as well, plenty stove

piping that goes on there too as you're well aware. we have to learn from this. we have to hold people accountable, which we're doing, and we have to change processes to make sure that we're getting it right. we are going to relook at them from how we make our decisions relating to security decisions, how the bureau reactses to that, who is making decisions, and we have to embrace this and hold ourselves accountable. secretary clinton made it very clear to us that we're accountable for executing these recommendations, and we're going to have to learn from this quickly and get to the bottom of the answers that are set up as it relates to the specific tasks laid out for all of us to look at. >> thank you, mr. chairman, in the interest of time, i'll cease questions. >> thank you. as we conclude, this is a good process, not a fun process. it's not meant to be, but it is

open, accountability, impressed by the directness and professionalism of the report deliveredded to us yesterday, but i'm also impressed today by the just obvious combination of some pain at the losses that took place for which, obviously, everybody feels a sense of responsibility within the department ands acknowledgement, difficult as it is, that mistakes were made and things have to be done differently so i want to salute both of you for coming in here, and i think good questions have been asked, legitimate ones, and this process will result in improvements. i'm confident in that. we thank you very, very much for coming in today. it's been, i think, very, very helpful, and we'll look forward to working with you, with the

committee to make sure that the implementation is as effective as possible to make sure that we do our part, that the congress stepped up here and weighs -- i think senator corker's questions about the money, you know, we have to analyze is, see where the improvements can be made. no question in my mind that we need additional resources in significant ways, and we're going to have to document that and do all things necessary to make it clear. thanks very, very much for coming in today. we wish you well, and we look forward to picking up whether wr the next hearing will be with the secretary. thank you. >> thank you. >> we stand adjourned.

>> i don't want to spoil the book for you so let me just say that the year began with the american republic in grave danger. the union armies struggling to grow virtually overnight from a few thousand men scattered across the continent to more than half a million. the inexperienced officers

thrust into command of the raw volunteers were stymied by the sheer size of the break away confederate states of america which covered a space larger than the entire european territory conquered by napoleon. the closest adviser was the secretary of state and said that even smart people failed to see the difficulty of the union's tasks. they didn't apprehend the vast extent of the rebellion as he put it. military operations, to be successful, must be on a scale hitterred to prakically unknown in the war. >> the second year of the war, weak union forces, daifdz von brehle on 1862 and lincoln's rise to greatness at 8:30 eastern this weekend and right

through christmas day on c-span2. >> senator daniel of hawaii given a rare honor of lying in state in the capitol rue tun da today. he died sunday in an area hospital. he's the second longest serving senator in u.s. history. after the arrival at the capital, congressional leaders and vice president biden spoke at a memorial for senator inouye.

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let us pray. gracious god, sovereign lord of history, thank you for the exemplary impact of senator daniel ken inouye on our national history. lord, we're grateful for the excellence that distinguished his significant career, for the

quiet grace and dignity with which he represented the ahoha state and gift of ennernment that enabled him to serve you faithfully for the good of america. as we express gratitude, of all the foot prints he left in the sands of time, give us your power to persevere in promptly doing what is right. may the memory of senator

inouye's indefaticable life provide for all of those who labor for liberty. lord, intensify our dedication to make sacrifices for the good of our nation and world as we put our trust in you to do for us immeasurably abundantly above all that we can ask or imagine, according to your power, working in and through us. we pray in your sovereign name,

amen. >> senator dan inouye was a noble soul, one of the finest men i've ever met. united states senate and the entire country are poorer for his loss. i wanted to join senator ownership's family, people of hawaii, and all americans in paying final respects to an american patriot and hero. senator inouye was one of the deluxe senators to ever walk the hallowed halls of the great building. he leaves behind a legacy of public leadership and private

kindness that will not be forgotten as long as these walls stand and as long as history's written. it's fitting the hawaii state for the enduring state of democracy, the dome of the capitol, and it's proper that he should rest upon the lincoln platform upon which abraham lincoln, president john f. kennedy, rosa parks, and 26 others of this nation's luminaries have lain in state. dan inouye was an institution and deserves to spend at least another day in this beautiful building in which he dedicated his life. as a second longest serving senator in our history, dan inouye represented our 50 #th state on the first day was admitted to the union, but his

tradition of service began long before he came to the united states senate. he was just a boy when he heard the war planes, the drop on pearl harbor, andgan to give aid to the wounded. he was 13 when he volunteered to serve the nation overseas even though his people have been declared aliens, and looking at secretary here, who served in one of those intournament camps. senator inouye became a member of the regimennal combat team, the most highly decorated unit in the history of the united states' military. that says it all. after being gravely wounded in italy, senator's arm of amputated, spent 21 months recooperating from the wounds in an army hospital in michigan. during that, he met a lifetime friend, future majority leader

bob dole, another young gi who had been also wounded in the european theater. senator dole told senator inouye he planned to go to law school and eventually serve in congress. dan inouye was elected to congress in 1959 as hawaii's first congressman. bob dole was elected to congress a year later. senator inouye always joked, i went with the dole plan, and i beat him. three years later, dan inouye was elected to the senate being a soft powerful voice for the people of hawaii ever since. although senator inouye was an unabashedded progressive democrat, he always put his country first and his party second. dan was a vibrant and vital presence in the senate, and in death, he'll remain a legend.

his last words on earth, aloha, and it is with a heavy heart that i, we, bid aloha, good-bye, to a friend of the senate, daniel ken inouye. >> good morning. on behalf of the united states house of representatives, i extend sincere condolences to senator inouye's family, colleagues, and his constituents. in late 1963, a young freshman senator stood under this splendid dome as we do now. years on, daniel inouye could

still recall how quiet this rutunda became when president kennedy's casket arrived. all i heard, he said, was the shuffling of feet. that day, absorbed in his thoughts, this son of hawaii and a veteran of 442nd, good couldn't have imagined he spend another five decades passing through this hall. he couldn't have fathomed all the good that he would do here. helping to build a new state, gaining rights and benefits for veterans, supporting agriculture, speaking out against injustice, and becoming one of the most revered senators in our history.

he couldn't have fathomed it, and unassuming as he was, he wouldn't have trieded. it was always for the nation he loved and the state that he served to his last breath. while this may be a quiet ceremony for a quiet man, it will endure long after the respects are paid. for when this returns to life and tour guides give their pitch, they'll always speak of daniel inouye, the gentleman from hawaii, and one of freedom's most valiant champions.

>> irene, jennifer, ken, if my father were here saying, kid, you got good blood. jessica, henry clay, thaddeus stevens, charles sumner, robert byrd, general persing, general mcarthur, ten presidents, 31 in all lay in state, only 31 in the history of the united states of america under this dome. this is an honor to state the obvious that very few americans, some truly great americans never, ever received. in each and every american who's

been granted the honor according to danny today, they have been granted it because they possess a particular quality that we view as uniquely american. it's thoroughly appropriate that our friend, danny, is granted this honor because he was in every sense the qint american possessing every virtue that we like to ascribe to our country. , the dop of danny's life, the country was emerging from a great war, a war that left the rest of the world in ruins, but placed america squarely in the center of world leadership for the first time in our history.

yet on the horizon was the greatest economic depression this nation had faced or has faced sense. his mother, his mother, the first of her generation in hawaii to immigrate from japan at a time when there was strong and real prejudice that still existed in america, a man who came of age as the second war burst upon the scene, and that very prejudice against japanese-americans reached a kris -- cresnedo. as majority leaders eluded to, on the way to church with your grandfather, listening to the radio about the bombing that was taking place in pearl harbor,

and at first as danny told the story, over several times, at least i heard it, he thought it was the wells kind of thing, and they drove, and looked on the hoer rye -- horizon and could see pearl harbor, the bombs bursting. he was then labeled an enemy alien. he was labeled an enemy alien as his family was. because of his japanese an ancestry, but he fought. he fought for the chance to fight for his country and had to fight for the chance to fight for his country, not just to prove that he was an american, but because he knew, he knew

what was at stake, because it was the right thing to do. my mom, as i was telling my colleagues before we came out, used to have an expression. shedd say, joey, you're defined by your courage and redeemed by your loyalty. you're defined by your courage and redeemed by your loyalty. in the years i have served here, and were i still in the senate serving out that term, i'd be the most senior person in the senate, a frightening thought to think i'm that old, but i never met a man or a woman in that period with as much physical and moral courage as danny inouye.

i never met a man with as much loyalty to his country, to his family, and to his friends. some who received with him a long time remember he's one of the few people that would stand on the floor to defend a colleague who was under siege without ever considering the political consequences to him back home. he always just did the right thing. he always had the moral courage to do the right thing. he had a compass that always directed him to his true north and a resolve to do truly extraordinary things. things that few women and men ever contemplate or able to

consider doing. we all know that on april 21st, 1945, and i had the prief leming of being -- privilege of being with her on the 50th anniversary of d-day, and we were with bob dole as well. he and bob dole were on the mountain top, go up literally, only about two miles from one another, at the same time, same day, both mortally wounded and fighting for their country. just above the bridges above toc -- tuscany, but because of danny's sense of honor, and something i can ascribe it to when you hear the story and look at the record, his loyalty first and foremost to his platoon, to the men he had sworn that he would protect. he would do everything in his

power to protect them. this is a man who kept fighting on that ridge even after his arm was severed prying a grenade from the hand and severed arm, prying it out of that hand and charging the next machine gun nest. taking it out in the process, saving his men. a man awarded the medal of honor for his incredible bravery. he didn't do it because he was brave. he did it because he was loyal. he did it because of a sense of duty. he did it because this was his country. he could have been talking about

danny when he said when duty throws the gauntlet down to fate, when honor scores to compromise with death, that is heroism. danny inouye, in every sense of the word, was a hero. if that's all he had done for his country, he would have contributed more than 99.9% of all americans contributed to their country. his fight for his platoon, his fight for his fellow hawaiians and country didn't stop. after 21 months in that hospital being rehabilitated with two other men he came to know and love who had incredible character and courage as well,

one already mentioned, bob dole, who we all know and those who served with him loved, and phil hart, one of the findest, most decent men i ever had the privilege of knowing. i had a great opportunity legislated here as a young kid. they were still giants, still giants, and they are still giants, they were giants in the senate. imagine the three of them spent 21 months together or the bulk of that time in rehabilitation. they joined the movement for statehood. he returned to beloved hawaii with a heart as full as when he left, which is an amazing thing to me. when hawaii was admitted in the union in 59, the first representative, as you all know, was daniel inouye. from the very outset, his

colleagues knew this was a special man. danny knew immediately what every one of us who ever served in either of these great houses longed for. the uncompromising respect and admiration of every one of our colleagues. no one, no one in the 40 years i served with danny ever, ever, ever, ever, ever once doubted he would do what he said, never once doubted his words, never once wondered whether or not he'd keep whatever commitment he made. that, that, that is the most valuable capital any man or woman who ever served in this place can ever possess, and he

had it from the outset. no one, as i said, who is alive that danny inouye stated something to me that he did not do. that's why he was so successful. no one ever doubted danny's motives. we all spend too much time in these chambers doubting their motive. you can doubt their judgment, but you can't doubt their motives. no one ever doubted his motives. the love the people of hawaii had for him extended across the pacific, across the continent into these halls for danny. people not only listened to, republicked, -- respected, and liked danny, but almost all of us us who got to know him loved danny.

how many of yore -- your colleagues can you say that about? that you can turn to and say i loved this man, i loved this woman. for all danny had come through, from the sting of prejudice to his physical injuries to the derivations suffered, to the losses he had, he would have been forgiven by all who knew him if he had an edge to him, if there was a ting of bitterness, a touch of cynicism in his heart. he would have been forgiven for that, but the amazing thing to me was there was none. there was none. i didn't know him his whole life, but i never once saw him even imply "why me"?

danny had the most fulsome embrace of life with one arm that any man or woman could have with two. if you forgive, as we used to say in the senate, a point of personal privilege, he came to campaign for me when i was a 29-year-old kid running for the senate. he came to delaware, and he spoke at the equivalent of our jefferson jackson day dinner on the eve of the election, and i'll never forget what my mom said, joey, i like that man. i said, why, mom? he said, he likes you. i said, how do you know that, ma? she said, joey, she had an expression, highest compliment she could give you, she said, he has a sixth sense. we all have five senses. very few people have that sixth sense, that intuitive notion, the ability to look at another

man or woman's eyes and understand them, to see them, to sense what they are thinking. when i lost my family shortly after that, before being sworn in, he was one of the first of my future colleagues at my side encouraging me to keep up, go down, awful hard to look at a man with one arm and all he'd been through, and he's telling you to keep up, and you say, no, no, i can't do this. your dad did more for me than you'll ever know. when i decided to seek the nomination for president, which i don't advise any of you to do, i didn't have to ask. we have an expression in the family, if someone is really a true friend, the expression goes, if you have to ask, it's too late.

i didn't have to ask. i got to knock on my door, and danny telling me, leon, he'd like to be my national campaign chairman. that was the only time any of you started to question his judgment. [laughter] i left the race, he stood by me when i was hospitalized for a long time, he was with me. he supported me. he did for me what i guess he may have done for a lot of you, but you'd never know the good deeds that another man like danny has done except to speak to him personally. what danny did for me, danny gave me confidence. if danny inouye believed in me, i must be worthy of something. i know that sounds strange, but i literally mean it. i bet you all had a similar experience in your life.

someone who looked at, and you knew was a better man or woman than you. you knee -- you knew it, and they had confidence in you. i believe the highest compliment a parent can give another man or woman is to look at their daughters or son and say, "i hope you grow up to be like that man or that woman." there's a lot of great men and women have served here that we had the pleasure meeting, but all of us, all of them had some aspect of their personality like i have and everyone else does, and it's not particularly admirable, but there was not one single attribute of danny's character that i didn't want my sons to possess.

not one. there's never been another man but my father who i thought about in terms of my sons. than danny. maybe that's why he passed away, the first calls i got were my sons, and my son, hunter, overseas, they had heard before i did. they knew your dad. they knew your husband. what mattered most to them is he knew he knew them. as a matter of fact, it mattered so much to my oldest son, hunter, when he did his paper in georgetown university, he asked danny if he could do it about the 442nd, and would danny help

him? i don't know how many times i heard my son tell stories to his friends about how he sat for several hours with danny hearing first hand about the 442nd. you know, you think of danny, what struck me at least both was not just his physical courage, internal optimism, embrace of life, untrembled belief, absolutely untrembled belief in the dig dignity of every human being. danny's known for all the great things he's done, the physical courage he's shown, what he's done with veterans and defense, but what drew me to danny was the speech he made in 1968 at the democratic convention about

civil rights, about human rights just as my son wrote about danny, future generations will write about danny inouye. they'll lemp of his physical feats, and maybe the most important lesson of all they'll learn is dedication to country, engagement in public life, engagement in politics, being a member of congress, can and should be, the most honorable profession of all, danny made me proud to be a senator.

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[background sounds] [background sounds] >> let us pray. oh, lord our god, we have been taught by the master that no greater love exists than that one laid down one's life for

another. as we leave this place today, may we never forget this man of gentle, quiet strength, who, as a young man, nearly, literally answered his master's call. for half a century, senator inouye did lay down his life day after day serving those who looked to him to see to their security, of their lives, liberties and pursuits of happiness. all of this, thousands of miles from home. may we all be such good and faithful servants. bless us all, bless, especially his family who mourn the loss of so great a man, senator daniel

k. inouye. amen. [background sounds] [inaudible]

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[background sounds] another memorial service will be held for senator daniel inouye tomorrow morning. senate majority leader harry reid will be using guising the hawaii center who died on monday at the age of 88. you can watch the proceedings live at 10:350 eastern here on

c-span2. if you work for them, you get a me curial, sometimes generous, sometimes overbearing, sometimes almost cruel loss boss who, he at any time know how to apologize. which meant of his age and class, you know, they're not going to apologize for a young private secretary a typist, and he had a way of soft turning the tables and his version of an apology would be to say, i'm a kind man and you're doing a good job today. but the issue is never settled. he always had to get the last word in. one night going through white hall, a german bomb fell nearby. he shouldn't have been out at all, and his body guard pushed

him to a doorway, and a comp l of his men were slightly wounded. church hill didn't like to be touched and he said, thompson, don't do that. he said, sir, you shouldn't be out here. dangerous. he said i'm doing abuse i know you love to. paul reid he was chosen be the late william manchester to complete the final volume of three volume biography of winston churchill. sunday night at 8:00 on c-span q & a. you're watching c-span c-span2 with politics and pub lipping affairs.

state and defense department officials testified wednesday in a house hearing on a violence in eastern congo. the rebel group m23 captured territory from the troops and seized the city. actor and activist testified about his recent visit to the reaming. it's three hours. the situation the democratic republican of the congo continues to evolve. it's driven by a complex interplay of regional, power dynamics as well as an entry candidate web of economic and social issues. what is clear that the situation in the drc is tragic for the innocent people caught in the conflict. innocent people trying to raise their families and live their lives. as i have fold the media coverage of the situationed in the drc, i can't help but reflect on the manies of

innocent people around the world who are caught in fundamentally unjust and socially complex situations. these situations can make anyone's heart break and naturally leads one to consider the simple question what can be done? one thing it sure makes me appreciate our country. you know, i have heard that less than 2% of the people that have ever lived here on the earth have lived under the kind of freedoms that we enjoy. we are so blessed when we see how innocent lives are how people hurt so much by some of the things happening around the world. it just, again, really makes me appreciate home. the question and like wise the answer comes more complex as we contempt plait what can be done with the national security interest, con strained budget,

ongoing commitment in afghanistan and around the globe and potential future con contingency that the military has to be prepared to execute. given the looming threat of sequestration or further quts to the military, i believe most of us on the committee have become ever more focused on ensuring the military's missions missions are essential and appropriatelytarialed. that said there may be options outside of the dod to address the situation in the drc. i understand that in the recent past the department of state conducted important diplomatic efforts such as the try par tide plus which further stability in central after africa and the drc in particular. another the administration is no longer pursuing this particular effort, perhapses there are other similar opportunities given how the situation has negatively evolved in the drc. more over it seems the u.s. can

pursue diplomatic engagement with regional partner and allies to leverage their knowledge, expertise, and resources to address the issue. indeed the world remains a complex and dangerous place. we cannot neglect to consider the linkages between instability and central africa and the global terrorist threat. but from afghanistan to syria to iran to north korea, we also must recognize the existence of demonstrate actors and regimes that directly threaten the united states and our allies. therefore, we must ensure that the our military is sufficiently resourced and national leaders prioritize our defense resources toward efforts that are appropriate for the u.s. military and our national vital security interest. i look forward to learning more about the situation on the ground as well as what the u.s. government is doing to address the situation in the drc. mr. smith? >> thank you, mr. chairman. i thank you very much for taking

the time to hold the hearing. it's a very important issue, as you can described the situation in the eastern drc is dire. it's largest humanitarian crisis i think too few people have heard of. and some estimate of the war going over the course of the last fifteen to twenty years. and nearly 5 million people have been killed. many more wounded, injured, raped. it's a place are a lot of people are suffering. it's a place where i believe we can make a difference in helping to reduce the suffering. stabilitying in the region is important to the united states. we have keep partners in the area we have worked with uganda and rue wan dpa da as we have dealt with situations and the instability coming out of the drc is a threat to all of that. we have seen in recent months that africa is increasingly important in our national security interest. the instability there is given rise to many al qaeda-inspired insurgety and that threatens our

security. one of the biggest purpose of the hearing is get a bigger feel what they can do in the region to help. the biggest problem, the eesh drc is a lack of governance, a lack of rule of law, and a rogue gallery of a war loads, revolutionary, and violent groups and individual have taken advantage of the ungoverned space and created sprobs. building toward greater stability in the region has to be focus. the dod has done work in the reaming, we are currently working with the u began d.a. army and working with the army. one of the revolutionary groups that helped to destablize the drc. we tried to work with the drc military training one buy talon a few years bag to a strong success. it's consideredble to and capable. it's too small to make the big difference that needs to be made in the region.

i believe there's a critical role they can play in building the security capacity in the eastern drc and working with the surrounding nations like this that are critical to bring stability. we want to explore further how dok can be helpful. there's a diplomat element to this as well. it's important that the u.s. engage, the u.n. edge guy, a high level to the region either from the u.s. or the u.n. can make a difference in bringing them together. i know, ambassador car soon has been -- secretary carson has been working on the issue and we are anxious to hear more what we can do to help the efforts and be successful in the region. it's something that matters to us in addition to the security issues. there's incredible economic opportunity in the region of africa. economic opportunity for trade, partnership with u.s. businesses, but we have to get the stability there in order to take advantage of those tunltds. so again, i thank you the chairman for the hearing. i look forward to learning more

what we can do to help the situation in the eastern drc. thank you. i yield back. -- he's assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs. the honorable johnny carson, assistant secretary of state for the bureau of african affairs. >> thank you, mr. chairman and ranking member smith and the member of the committee. thank you for the opportunity to discuss the urgent crisis in democratic republican of the congo to bring stability for the f rc in the renal. i would like submit the full statement for the report and offer brief opening remarks. >> both of your statements will be included in the record with no objection. >> mr. chairman, this committee knows well that the u.s. has many competing security priorities in africa, from

somalia to sudan, to libya, to nigeria, the drc remains important because of the potential opportunity the lasting stability would bring and imperative to prevent mass awe toesty. one of the key threats facing them particularly in the eastern drc. calling themselves the fblr. undisciplined state security forces have proven to be a danger particularly when the forces are not well supported, have absorbed armed groups without vetting for human rights abuses, operate under a strait chain of command, or not trained in the legal obligations. the con influence of such security concerns is why they are following the drc and the great lakes region and actively involved with the state department colleagues to address

them. the unfolding crisis highlights the government failure to provide effective security, governance, and services in the eastern prove enses. it is also highlighted the continued political and economic tensions between the drc and the eastern neighbors especially rwanda. outside support in particular from rwanda has enabled m23 to be a threat it is today. imposes a serious challenge to the efforts to stablize eastern drc and ensure the protection of civilians. as president obama made clear yesterday in a phone call with rwanda montana, any support to m23 it inconsistent with the desire for stability and peace. a lot the military remains a valuable and capable partner in peace keeping operation outside the immediate region based on the support for m23 the administration has suspended rwanda's foreign military financing. as a situation in eastern congo go ons, we will continue to monitor reports of external

support closely and respond appropriately including by reviewing our systems. inside they are prioritizing security sector reform. this means working with the partner and the drk that addresses all three elements. we must work to develop more professional forces that respect human rights and protection the drc integrity and population inspect this regard, the defense department has provided training to the military including the training of a buy talon in 2010. sexual and gender-based violence and training were incorporated at every aspect of the effort. in addition to the ongoing training on human rights a law, the defense department engagement have included logistic, exercise participation, basic military intelligence training, military medicine, humanitarian assistance, and humanitarian

mine action. moving forward, the defense department stands ready to work with the state colleagues to ensure that the best way ahead in supporting sector reform including by providing additional infantry training. mr. chairman, the scale of the need is significant. to date we have trained one buy talon of 500 soldiers in a military that approximately 150,000. owner european and african partners have provided training. they have absorbed the capacity for assistance is limited. the defense ministry has been slow to respond to the request for the provision of appropriate personnel for training and information necessary for congregationly mandated human rights vetting. the lack of english language capacity further inhibits training opportunity. drc continues to work with the -- operation remains essential in providing security for the civilian population in the drc. they have a challenging mandate

in a fluent security climate. we are reviewing options for improving the ability to meet the civilian protection requirements in the drc. to assist them, the defense -- who are helping to support operational efforts and ensuring efficient flow of information between the headquarter and field component. despite many challenges, we have an interest in enduring interest in helping development a more capable continue let's military and it fits within secretary panetta's broader policy emphasis on building partner capacity. our engagement helps them to provide for security. they can foster respect for the rule of law and human rights. mr. chairman, ranking member smith it's this committee for continues to shine a light on the important issue. one that deserves attention on the crowded with security challenges. and i also note the work of the

many nongovernmental organizations not only provide policy advice but helping people on the ground and drc each day. thank you for the opportunity to does the important issue with you today. i look forward to your questions. >> thank you very much. secretary carson. mr. chairman, ranking member smith, thank you very much the invitation to testify on the crisis unfolding in the eastern democratic republican of the congo also roverred to as the drc. the security and humanitarian situation and the drc is the most volatile and violent in africa today. an estimated 5 million people have lost their lives since 1998.

and millions more have been uprooted and displaced. the people of north and south prove prove enses in place have faced repeat the cycle of conflict, awe toesty, and displace wment the current crisis simply being the latest. the rapid fall last month to the rebel group known as m23 provided a stark reminder that the root causes trenched -- and the region remain unresolved. at the highest level of the united states we are committed to helping the drc and the neighbors in this cycle of violence and instant. so that we do not find ourself back here in three years facing

yet another crisis in the eastern drc. secretary clinton, ambassador rice, undersecretary for political affairs ambassador wendy sherman and i have all spoken or met with senior rwanda, uganda officials in the past weeks and months to advocate for a rapid and peaceful resolution to the current crisis. i have traveled to the region just last month with my british and french counter parts to press governments to work together to stop the crisis and address the underlying causes of instability. all three governments reintegrated to us their commitment to these shared goals. in the u.n. security council, we have taken action to ensure that

five of the most senior m23s most commanders are under targeted sanction and we have placed those same individuals under u.s. sanctions. talks between the drc government, and the m23 began on december 9 in uganda, and being mediated by uganda as the chair for international conference on the great lakes region known as a icglr. while the two sides have yet to begin substantiative talks, the current ceasefire in the eastern drc is holding and the parties continue to express commitment to a dialogue. much of the m23's military success would not have been possible without outside

support. there is a credibility body of evidence that corroborates the u.n. group of experts that the rue dwan government provided significant military and political support to the m23. while there is evidence of individual from uganda providing support to the m23, we go not have a body of evidence suggesting that the uganda government has a policy of supporting the m23. nonetheless, we continue to urge uganda officials to ensure that supplies to the n23 do not originate or transit through uganda territory. with have not limited our spots to diplomacy. as required by the fy2012 appropriations act, secretary

clinton suspected foreign military financing or fmf to rue wan dpa and fy2012 because of the support to the mc23. the department continues to closely monitor report of external support and we will continue to respond appropriately. including by reviewing our assistance to deter this if should develop. the highest level of the united states government are committed to helping the drc and the region achieve a sustainable piece. as my colleague said, president obama spoke yesterday with the president and underscored that any support to the m23 is inconsistent with rue wan da's -- rwanda's stability and peace

in the region. president obama emphasized to the president the importance of permanently ending all support to arm grouped in the drc. abodying -- abiding be i recent communications that he made in -- along with the presidents there. and regioning a transparency and credible political agreement that include an end to immunity for m23 commanders and whose have committed serious human rights abuses. president obama believes that from this crisis should merge a political agreement that -- addressing the underlying regional and governance issues while upholdings the sovereignty and territorial integrity. president obama is also delivered the message to the president that the drc must take

concrete steps toward security sector reform and improve governance in order reach a lasting peace in the eastern drc. looking forward, we are using all the tools at our disposal to help address and thend crisis. we are monitoring humanitarian needs and working to mobilize resources to ensure continued emergency assistance to civilians in need. we are calling upon everyone involved in the conflict to maintain the current ceasefire, to permit humanitarian access, and to pursue a sustainable, political resolution through honest and meaningful dialogue. while the talks through the m23 and the drc government continue, we believe that direct dialogue

between presidents is paramount to achieving a long-term do able solution in the region. some of the root causes of the conflict can only be addressed through government to government dialogue and negotiations. these include issues of land tenure, refugee resettlement, the illegal exploitation of natural resources, border security, and support networks for all troops. while the responsibility to implement change rests first and foremost with the government of the region, we encourage the united nations secretary general to a point -- appoint a high-level u.n. special envoy to engage the relevant countries on a sustained basis, help them

reach a doable political resolution, and ensure the successful implementation of that resolution over a long-term. throughout this wild -- peacebuilding process, civilian protection is and must remain priority. the u.n. peace keeping mission in the drc have come under heavy scrutiny in recent weeks. while we believe that the performance has been acceptable given the very difficult circumstances, there is always room for improvement. we and our fellow u.n. security council members and troop contributing countries are reviewing the proposals on the table to improve the capacity to protect civilians and counter our groups. we're encouraging our partners

to ensure that any new efforts are coordinated with and perhaps integrated in to the u.n. peace keeping efforts. in the meantime, we remain committed to supporting the robust implementation of the current mandate. the primary responsibility for protecting the drc and the congo people rest with the drc government itself. the crisis over the past few months has demonstrated to devastating effect the critical need for a professional and capable army that can protect the country's citizens to reach a sustainable piece, the drc government must accelerate the efforts toward comprehensive security reform. we have and will don't work with the drc with the government to

professionalize the military. including continuing our training to army officers, and support to the armed forces military justice capacity. along with military reform, the descrk government must expand governance across the country. the governance that exists in part of the country has allowed them to set up parallel civil administrations and exploit the population. efforts to expand governance must improve e welcome -- electoral reform the elections and state institutions to provide much-needed public services. we believe that the time has come for the drc and the international community to permanently break the cycle of violence and -- that exists in

the region. today's crisis is a deep tragedy. but it also offers an opportunity to help the drc and the region to set a more sustainable, long-term stability. we urge the international community and the great lakes region and the people to demonstrate the resolve necessary to achieve the peace and prosperity and achieve the goals that we see. thank you, mr. chairman. >> thank you very much. secretary, please describe the strategic defense priorities with -- and how does the situation in the drc situate within the priorities? >> sir, thank you for the question. first and foremost, the priority recently has been the can you

hear me now? >> recently the -- [inaudible] security and to the awe toesty prevention concerns that we have, and the great lakes region, of course, the history of that reach is something that we're well aware of. that's why we have the defense department efforts on improving the capacity of our cubs to ensure that happy hardships can by aleve yeted. to be honest the focus --

[inaudible] >> secretary carson, my understanding that the department managed an effort known as try par tide plus to address issue in the drc and in the region. my understanding is the state department stopped the effort in 2009. can you explain why the department of state is no longer pursuing this effort and what has taken its place? mr. chairman, thank you for the question. prior to 2009, there was an existence an effort called the tripar tide plus. when the obama administration came in to office in 2009, we contacted the learsd of the four key states rwanda, drc, and

bureau to ask the leaders where they were interested in carring on with the the plus arrangement. there was no consensus among the states to do so. and in fact, rwanda did not want to carry-on the process. we did not, in fact, attempt to pursue it when we found there was division among the four countries. however, to maintain our high level of interest, secretary clinton pointed a special adviser for the great lakes, the late howard who was a member of the house of representatives from the state of michigan for many years, he served for the first two years of the obama

administration as the special envoy. he passed away, and he was replaced by special envoy ambassador barry. an experienced diplomat who had served as deputy chief of mission in the drc, and had served in a number of other posts. he continues to work on regional great lakes issues, but the decision to stop the try par tide plus was based in a reluctance of the government in the region to carry-on. >> thank you very much, mr. smith. >> thank you. rue wan can is increasingly getting attention as major source of the problem in the region. there's a lot of history here going back and forth across the border of awe toesty committed on both sides.

rue began has an interest in maintain security across the border. it's clear that, you know, they continue to deny involvement in m23 despite the fact it's obviously they are deeply involved in that and other aspects of it. i think we are going need as a country to start putting more pressure on rwanda to change their behavior. they're not the only part of the problem. there are a ton of gangs involved there. i'm curious what you think they see as the interest in the region. they want to protect themselves from any court border problems. there's support for m23 seems to be driving unstability and creating more armed violence on the border. i'm curious what you think the thinking is. and the final piece is you mentioned in the re. a lot of people are making a lot of money despite the chaos.

they figured out ways to work with the local war loads they need to work with to get the stuff out. they're trying to protect that. is that part of the equation now? what is their thinking and can we better move them working toward stability. they're not being positive. they're not being honest about what they're doing. how can we improve that situation? >> ranking member smith, i think there's several obvious reasons for rwanda's involvement engagement in the region. the first is the deep concern and worry about elements of the former rwanda military who continue to exist in the eastern part of the country the fdlr, as

they are called. members of the rue dwan army participated in the genocide in 1994, row wanda's desire is to see all of these individuals taken all the battle field, brought to justice, and part of their actions are motivated by security and the desire to see the fdlr completely eliminated. the second desire, is to ensure that all rwanda folks speaker in the region who cross the borders between uganda, rwanda, and the drc are treat fairly. that they're not subject to harassment and intimidation and human rights violences.

there has has been a deep concern that many rwanda speakers have been disadvantaged in the eastern congo. and thirdly, they would like to see the issue of refugee resettlement taken care of. they're continuing to exist a large number of congo who are in refugee camps in rwanda, and the region who should be allowed to go -- back to the east. all of these are things that motivate their interest in the area. >> thank you. all right. i have one more question. we've been joined by congresswoman. i want to ask a unanimous consent that noncommittee members be allowed to participate. after all committee members had an opportunity to ask questions that the chairman will permit. >> no objections. >> thank you.

the question on the other side, is whatever role they may be playing that the drc is mainly the source of the problem. they cannot provide adequate security in the region. you mentioned in the efforts to train baa toll jobs there. we have a requirements toward the human right standards to be met. drc struggles to meet the standards. can you talk more about that and what the drc would have to do and how problematic the government is in getting to a solution to the problem. >>. >> thanks for the question. you are right the human rights concern are huge in the drc in terms of the -- which is one of the reason why we have an interest in helping to train them. we have shown in the one buy talon we have trained that we -- as you pointed out it's

relatively successful and that bah battalion has not shown any -- when we think about the military. in terms of the training a second battalion and training going forward, we are engaging with the congo government about what standard they would need to achieve for us to proceed doing nap there's an outstanding training mou we away thing for signature that would allow us to move forward in the future . >> are we going be able to get it signed. do you think we'll reach the point where it's going work? >> we'll see. i we are prepared on our end. it's on us to work with our colleagues to . >> get the drc to agreed. >> absolutely. that is a prerequisite for us to be moving forward for further training. it helps on the human rights abuses problem. >> thank you very much. thank you, mr. chairman. thank you, mr. forbes.

>> thank you, mr. chairman. at the outset today you mentioned it was the last hearing we would this year you and the ranking member gracious and thanks the member of the committee and our witnesses for the great job they do. but we want to thank both of you for your hard work and also maintaining this still as the probably the most bipartisan committee i think in congress. we appreciate your efforts to -- toward that. i have a question, and i don't -- i support what you do. i don't want you to misinterpret my question. it's a question have to ask. as we you know we had cut to national defense and the department of defense, some would argue it's more like $800 billion over the last few years. we have to a half trillion dollars we're looking at in sequestration. when you look at the dollars we're spend with the drc can you give us a ballpark what kind of resource dollars the department of defense is spending there.

secondly, are the dollars adequate, and third, how would you prioritize that in terms of the other cuts that you see coming down, and how do we justify that and explain that? >>. >> it's a great question, secretary panetta is seized with the -- concerned about the impact it will have on the military and international security. it's something we are nows can on and the issues that we can confront in the department. you ask a good question about the total number. i would like to add up the different pot of money coming in. i can give you an accurate answer. i can say that the in grand scheme over your spending. it's relatively modest expenditure in term of our deference intend -- spending. i would be prioritizing the area in secure education and training

programs we can help the military get it closer standards. i want to stress it's a relatively modest investment our time and money. we are able to get a fairly large investment of the money in term of the output. it's no secret from we were to seek further deference cut we would to take a close look at the efforts. even as modest as the expenditures currently are. i won't catch you off guard. give that thought. if you would get back to the record, kind of pull together the best you can the dollars. but also we love your thought are they adequate. are we putting the right dollar in. and give us an idea of the prioritization. we have to look at all of that. >> absolutely.

>> we appreciate your opinion. >> thanks. thank you mr. chairman. i would like to ask the panel what you felt like with m23, at ims do you feel like their threat is -- do you think it's possible it could lead to a new region of war in the motive and ambitions? >> thank you, i'll take that question. the m23 is basically a rebel group that has been once question celebrated in to the congo military and is now broken away from the them because they believe the terms that were signed on their integration in to the -- on march 23, 2009,

were broken. what we are seeing in the eastern drc is a rebel group that has defied the military command. they refuse to be relocated out of the of the eastern region, as you -- and they refused to be relocated out of the separate senior officers. this is at the heart of the current rebellion. the origin of the m23 is that it was in fact a rebel group prior to 2009. it went under a different acronym then. the cnn dp. it's basically a rebel group of the military commanders who have sought to parlay their military

influence in to political influence. the activitiesing are going to lead a regional war? how serious are the continuing activity? >> that is the concern. they're a group of growing capability, they have shown in the repeat months too be a match, if not a superior of the congo forces. their continued activity and the continued support they get is something that is reason we're concerned about it. because of the continues longer there's a fear it would spark a deeper -- along the lines they have seen too much of it in the last twenty years. >> thank you. mr. cofman. -- kaufman.

>> chank, mr. chairman. one question is what is the estimatedded strength in firm -- active participate in -- either one of you. >> roughly 1,000. >> roughly 1,000. can you go over again -- i think you mentioned that the sport is coming from rwanda, do you believe if so, why again is it supporting m23 why do you think they are supporting m23? >> there is a secretary carson outlined there's a incredible body of evidence they are supporting the m23. it's part of the conversation the president had yesterday with the rwanda president. i think one of the reasons this a there is support there it goes to the origin of the group and the interest that they outlined is m23 sees helps as "the

guardian" of the east. and the argument would be if they extend the people there they can protect the people in the east. okay what is the strength of the drc the military army. >> there are roughly 150,000 total. the congo is about the size of western europe. i believe the estimates are somewhere in the 6,000, 5-6,000 deployed. there's more -- 5 or 6,000 deployed in the east. i don't know what the exact estimate of the congo military deployment in the east is. there's a vast amount of territory the military is trying to cover with 150,000 troops. >> still, i mean, we're talking about a force of a thousand, and so why is this such a big issue for the drc in order to be able

to basically prevail in the situation? let me say a slight revision. i think probably today the m23 probably has some 2,000 or so troops. i think he has pointed out the size of the congo, i think graphically describe the congo as a country which is as large as the eastern part of the united states from the atlantic to the mississippi. it is an enormous country and since the split of sue can it's geographically the largest in of africa. the eastern congo is one of the

most difficult areas in which to operate. it is an an area that is deeply forested in some places, double and triple canapes, it is also an area that has a large number of volcano, some of which are act riff and sits what is called the western riff valley. which give it is both the altitude and low-level depth at the same time. it is an area which is very difficult to terrain wise to operate and i think in terms of the estimation of the number of soldiers of the drc has in the eastern congo, probably is in the neighborhood of somewhere around 20 to 30,000 stretched over not only the north and

south, but also -- there are probably at least a dozen to half dozen to other smaller rebel groups operating in the area. including the fdlr which is an antirwanda group which is of concern to the government. but there are also operating against probably a seven or eighth different groups that go under the name of mimi. that have a third acronym that goes behind them. it is a area that is volatile in stability, prevails in a number of rebel groups are operating there, which also require the attention both of the --

[inaudible] as well as the forces from the u.n. >> i yield back the balance of my time. >> thank you. thank you very being with us this morning. it's important we're discussing the issues. i think talking about security in the abuse of human rights and the drc. i proficient as you state -- it is a threat to sifltty and human rights across the globe. we know that such things are. we the priorities have been stated. we have to recognize the reality there. could you speak specifically to the successes or setback in the effort to professionalize the military forces in the drc with regard to the effectivenesses in regard of combating sexual violence against women and children. to any extent the -- how can we

support the efforts, and to the extent that we have seen them. you mentioned earlier that in discipline and immunity persist. what should we be doing to address it? it's preventing that is a huge priority for our programming in this part of the world around the world. particularly in this part of the world. we have horrific stories and account coming out. a couple of comments. in the bay talon we have -- in the human right abuses and lack of them coming outs of that group compare to the rest of the congo military. secondly, we have a program . >> can i -- [inaudible]

dc hard to keep discipline in the military. we have ongoing programming in addition to the focus and training efforts. ongoing programming on the rule of law and military justice. we spend few million dollars per year to work with the congo military in a more wholesale way in helping with education and mentorship to ensure that the rule of law and resume right -- human rights are instilled throughout the military. that's programming that relatively modest, we see some benefit from. we're seeing the efforts not working at all. what is it that -- is the same. where we see the successful effort.

they continue have a great amount of discipline or training. and often case don't have great education. there's a problem within the drc. it makes it harder to train them in a way that meets the standards we would like to see in any military. >> i would say that security sector reform in the army has been a failure for the most part it's also a failure because of elements of corruption, soldiers are not paid on a regular basis. they are not sustained and reequipped in the field.

they continue have appropriate housing for themselves or fair families. many times when they are sent out, they are basically forgotten. i think one of the reasons it's been successful is because we put down a number of very clear con decision -- condition on the government of the drc to ensure that this battalion would be effective. we said to the government, they must be maintained as a cohesive unit. they cannot be broken apart and stoant different units. they must be paid on a regular basis, and even talked directly and i must say, i spoke with president and member of the

government about this introducing a mobile banking system to ensure soldiers will be able to get their pay as long as they had a cell phone. it's starting to take place. we also said they must be properly housed and they must be supported with resupplied. and in additionally, we also assigned and paid for a couple of mentors to ensure they would retain the cohesiveness and sharpness. and in fact they have been very, very good and they were a part of the counter lra operation. the counter lra operation in the north eastern part of the country for a long time.

>> thank you will mr. scott. >> thank you. and the use of our isr platforms to assist in the humanitarian mission and in the military mission. could you what is being done now. >> you are aware that the irs issue is important to us and something that we -- there's huge value and everything we're doing. i can say on the issue we've been talking here today about regarding eastern congo, there's not much irs work that we are providing. most of the military assistance we're providing in the term of mentorship and the the isr

question is absolutely critical when it comes to the mission. which is. northern part and that is something that we can helping to contribute to. >> we have the ability with our isr platform especial start to show the track with rebel units removing and both from the humanitarian mission and military mission. mr. carson, you said we're going have to permanently break the cycle. you use the word eliminated with regard to the fdlr. what's going on in the country of africa and the human rights abuses very few things reach the level of abuse that have been there for years.

my concern with the way we try to handle these things through the state department. we always playing defense, and so if it's going to be necessary to eliminate organizations like the fdlr and m23 to permanently break the cycle, at what point rewe going to help the democratic republican of the congo go on offense against the groups? >> thank you for the question. as i said in my testimony, the responsibility for resolving the problem in the great lakes are principally the responsibility of the president and the leaderships of the respective countries. we have to engage diplomatically with them to recognize that instant, violence, continued refugee, flows, and immunity not in the interest of any of these

states. it requires political will on their part to recognize that it is in their interest to promote peace, prosperity, and stability not only in their countries but also in the states that border them. we will continue our dip mathematic effort but we will help, as we pointed out to train the bay talon as a good example, we are committed to training a second battalion if the government is prepared to sign that mou with respect to how the battalion will be maintained. >> we're almost out of time. how many men make up the battalion, and how well -- what are they? >> approximately five to 600.

they are well equipped. they have been maintained appropriately. if we're going to break the cycle, you can't -- i don't understand how diplomacy works with somebody who has made a living out of raping and murdering other human beings, and i believe at some point, i don't think it needs to be united states military that does this. i believe our that our plat platforms are an asset question deliver to the people trying to get rid of the people committing the murder and rape. i would encourage as we go forward we help train another baa toll began and make the isr platform available to the platform we they can take out people who are going to stop

murdering and raping people until they are eliminated. thank you, mr. chairman. i yield the remain of my time. >> thank you, mr. larson. >> thank you, mr. chairman. ambassador carson first question for you. it that is to do with training and equip i think. we -- several tools available to them a few years back last year even we authorized a global security contingency fund that was created for complex challenges like the issues we have in the drc. can we expect to see a continued to see proposal for the drc in the future? let me say that is under review and it is possible that you will see one. we are, as i said, look agent the perspective of trying to

train a second battalion in the drc provided the government is willing to commit to a number of obligations, which we think are important to ensure the effectivenesses of those who might be trained. >> [inaudible] a different source of money to train the first battalion? [inaudible conversations] >> yes. you did? what source of money was that? >> the pko funding. ..

>> have we learned lessons is there a thing as saying that we need in the second battalion? what were those things? >> what we said to the drc government is we want you to

sign the mou with united nations to prevent the recruitment and -- of the soldiers of the entire military. not just the battalions. they have now done that. 45 days ago. also as the mou complete the vetting of the participants that is a part of the battalion. >> so to focus on human-rights. >> exactly. also you must keep this as a composite. paid them regularly, and equip them, a visa requirements going forward. >> they were not in the first mou?

>> we demanded the first time and insist this time but we have expanded out because we insisted they must sign a document with an action plan with the government to deal with child soldiers prepare retract -- retention and recruitment. >> those two issues are different and the first mou. what about the organics logistics capability for the second battalion? at the point* is it us? the u.n. mission? for the logistics communications? >> it is cathartic, the government of drc that moves the people around the country to provide additional equipment and

supplies. >> mr. chollet? >> the ambassador has covered it. >> i yield back. >> thank you, mr. chairman and i would to talk about the area of operations at the drc, a look at two brandi and you got there we talk about the m23 but what are the other states we have to contend with in the region? >> congress man was there are probably a dozen and will give you want to mention that you have it there is the fdlr which is comprised of former rwandan soldiers participating in

the genocide. a group of insurgents called the african democratic liberation front who are anti-uganda and they have operated across the border. the m23 the cdn dp which was a rebel group there are at least 10 other groups that start off the rubble name with the name mymy. the various groups based on ethnic communities and other rebels. >> mostly tribal based? >> ethnic and regionally based. someone has passed on to

me, thank god for the staff and. >> another teethirty -- mymy also fdlr, frpi would conflict minerals, mymy. >> let me get to my point*. time is running out. spending the few days in the military, we listen for the task. listening to the two gentlemen talk about training and i also heard the term 118.

i try to understand what exactly are you looking at? if it is warrant internal defense, do we have the capability to do that? while looking at this list of belligerent groups as sonat -- as soon as soldiers are there in that position, as some of the things remind me of three for previous regions. vietnam, afghanistan, somali a. we did not do so well the initially. try to ascertain what is the goal and objective that strategical and operational posturing? do we need to go to coalition partners? and where is the potential of mission creep and desolation which is what happened in somalia? we know how that dovetailed.

and to mention the war lords? >> the warlords are not here. >> very briefly, the goal of the efforts is to build up the congo leaves military. >> that is internal defense. >> the footprint issue is extremely limited. three personnel are part of the u.n. mission to help on information sharing and intelligence issues. with that training under way it was 60 with special forces and they are out. we are one of many players

including the french and british about 17,000 u.n. troops in the congo. >> my concern is all of the non state non uniform belligerence coming together against our efforts. is that against our efforts? >> >> we're not talking about america's soldiers on the ground thing gauged against rebel groups. that is not in our game plan number thinking. >> my time is gone. i will yield back. >> we're trying to build capacity.

>> mr. johnson? >> the continent africa is the richest in the world in terms of minerals and natural resources. the source of 90% of precious minerals and strategic raw materials with the industrialized nations of the world. the people on the continent of africa are the poorest of the corps. i'm sure i will get no disagreement on that point*. another point* is over the recent centuries, dictators and corrupt leaders of failed african states with

multinationals from the developed world generally pay a meager realties for the raw materials part of the money goes into the swiss miss bank account and it chuckles down to development within the country. is the multinationals that export the raw materials to places they can be developed. in that process people who live in the goods that are refined can get jobs said they are able to have

prosperity throughout the land. but we have the issue of the debt of the money that is extended to the african countries for development and the debt is underpaid and then forgiven that permanently locks and poverty because the resources that are available are not going into the swiss bank account half to repay the debt. then with the drc, we have the same abject

poverty, hunger, starvation, disease and lack of basic social services. and to quote from the memo that says economic growth by a global high commodity prices has been strong reaching an estimated 6.9% in 2011 and receives high levels of donor aid. what part does the economic exploitation and the natural resources play and the support of the forces

thorough the drc? and others. what quest for the natural resources of africa have to play on the support of those groups? >> there is no question conflict minerals contribute to to sustaining conflicts in africa of. groups are able to take control of mineral rich areas to smuggle those out through neighboring states. clabir role in then the sustaining these conflicts.

this is why legislation passed here has been useful to put to been a check and control what the u.s. companies can with the democratic republic of the congo. >> can you finish that for the record? >> thank you, mr. chairman. >> how much is the united states of america spending on congo efforts. military and nonmilitary? >> the total cost i believe is 1,307,000,000 from military state and defense. >> the total assistance package to the drc

approximately $480 million. of the total package including both the military and economic and humanitarian assistance provided. her year. >> is the ninth is states of america have a security interest in the congo? what is it? >> we do have interest there. >> national security interest? >> to help do as much as we can to maintain stability that can have a direct impact on the united states. the largest peacekeeping program is in the democratic republic of the congo.

we spend an appropriate between 25 and 26% of what is authorized for this program. it consumes an enormous amount of time. >> we have to respond to humanitarian crisis than the region. >> we have limited time. it sounds like you talk a rut a humanitarian interest as opposed to national security that threatens the survival of the united states of america is my definition of national security interest. and i may be wrong but it seems the interest you described means the united states of america has a national security interest every place in the world. the way you define it as opposed to national security interest.

i have reservations about devastates continuing to be the world's police. we know the impact of the sequestration policy that congress approved august 2011 with the adverse affect on the uniform personnel being less than equal to world war ii and a naval vessels cut to the size of world war i era for brian the airforce having the smallest number of operational aircraft in its history. because of the sequestration policy. several ready here is involved with this attack on national defense capabilities. the united states of america has limited funding. mr. chairman that being the

case to have significant influence over where the money goes, i would strongly urge us to use that $480 million being spent on the congo according to mr. vs. testimony instead to help people in the united states of america who need the help or reduce the deficit that admiral mullen testified in the same chair is the national -- greatest national-security threat so it is a matter of priorities. i appreciate the very noble, i emphasize noble effort to help people who are in harm's way and various parts of the world. a mentioned somalia, mogadishu, a vietnam we tried to be noble.

we are in a different reality. with the national security interest in the congo i am afraid the castration will force us to retract even though we wish you the contrary. i a remainder back the rest of my time. >> >> if i recall-- recall sequestration is our responsibility. we all voted for that. >> i did not vote for it. >> i do not believe high-yield -- i a yielded two you. >> with that 30 million of 480 million for the military issues is that correct?

>> 30 million is directly related to the military issues of the eastern congo? >> i have to get back to a specific number. >> that is his testimony. if so this is a national security issue because the destabilization of africa's provides the direct opportunity for al qaeda and related terrorist organizations to find a safe haven. is that the situation today? >> certainly throat the continent is a concern. this region we have not seen that yet. beyond this region and absolutely. >> so after cut is a national security issue for the united states? correct? >> absolutely no question

that where we have seen instability. >> yes or no. the other issue today or tomorrow we will vote for the $80 billion appropriation of the national defense authorization act for afghanistan. that must mean for the entire year 2013 budget. with the money that is presently available then this committee might consider how we allocate american resources. that will be on the table next. know we will deal cahal cahal -- mr. carson you wrote the underlying issues of illegal exploitation of natural resources is one of

the major problems in this region zero africa. is that the case? >> yes. would you consider the ivory trade to be the exploitation? >> absolutely. >> any evidence -- of events the ivory trade supports the m23 in the congo? >> guy doan no. >> i will share with you the international environmental wildlife committee believes the answer is yes. >> what resources are we presently putting into the effort to understand the illegal ivory trade and the connection not only to the

congo situation but other destabilizing forces? >> one month ago secretary clinton hosted at the department of state to a meeting between major up for 10 countries with large wildlife populations then those setter believed to be the purchasers and recipients of illegal ivory an effort to indicate great concern we put more money to beef up the poaching operations across africa and to get the demand reduced. >> and the military side? >> i am unaware of anything. >> you should be aware.

in fact, it is vyyo evidence presented with the ad hoc hearing three weeks ago a major element of the destabilization and support of various rebel groups, many of whom are clearly aligned with al qaeda. i would appreciate a detailed response from the military exactly what the african unit is doing. thank you. >> mr. hunter? >> mr. chairman, one. have you worked with the guys that have been training and our troops in afghanistan? to the and disciplined, a corrupt, mobile banking system that has been used to describe the afghan military. i hope there is a crossover? those that have been doing

that to transfer their knowledge and capability is there a crossover? >> absolutely. with terms of training indigenous forces. >> specifically people from afghanistan? with tactics and technique to put in place specific procedures? >> i will have to get back with specific individual and perhaps those of '02 train the battalion i mentioned earlier. >> with the ai's are -- isr

do you have that platform in this region? >> no. >> the isr friend and back end, what region does that go to? >> [inaudible] not the eastern congo. >> then how does that help? >> it is a separate mission talking about the instability in eastern congo it is related with the ugandan military to strengthen their efforts. >> can use that money to subsystem to be used in both places? do you have that flexibility? >> we plan to use that against the clr a mission. that is not in our plan

right now. >> with the last question of the isr are you expecting any capability gaps in the isr we have been using and the middle east southwest asia? it is a different country. talked-about triple canopy jungle vs. desert amount since is there any capability gaps because we do not look at this aspect. doesn't work in that environment? we may learn that it doesn't. >> you are absolutely right. the terrain has unique challenges to the 212 biking give you back a more detailed answer with the money that we're asking for will go to systems that would enable us to use that. >> capture that.

not a lot of people look at the platform that we have now work with that environment because we have not had to be. capture that. put down requirements that if we're not just in a desert or the triple canopy jungle does that work? >> we will definitely follow up. >> >> can i have an estimate as to how many rapes occur in the 85 per year? >> i will get back to you on the precise number. it is extraordinary and probably a higher level than anyplace else in